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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] WAYYIQTOL/WEYIQTOL/WEQATAL terminology

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  • From: David Kummerow <farmerjoeblo AT hotmail.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] WAYYIQTOL/WEYIQTOL/WEQATAL terminology
  • Date: Wed, 07 Mar 2007 12:25:00 +1100


As a sometimes-user of such terms, I'll provide a comment.

I can't speak for others, but I do not use the terms to imply that there is not some variability in spelling as you say. Since the usual paradigm root is qtl these days, a quick representation using English characters of the verbal paradigms using this root is as you've given them. If you have a better suggestion for formal labels, I'm happy to use them. But other terminology does start to get cumbersome, eg conjunction + short prefix verb, etc.

Regards,
David Kummerow.

It seems that people here are of the habit of referring to verb forms
as WAYYIQTOL or WEYIQTOL or WEQATAL in order to point out
some differences in spelling or Massoretic pronunciation.

However, the above do not represent Massoretic pronunciation of the
Qal. For example, in Deut 32:1 we have [vati$-'ma(] whereas in
2 Sam 11:26 we have [vat-ti$-'ma(]. The only difference between
these two is syllable structure and gemination of the taw. This is
obfuscated by the use of "WEYIQTOL" which assumes an "e"
sound for the schewa (which is known to be wrong) and uses a
"YI" verbal prefix which would cause the schewa to be realized as
an [i] by a secondary unrelated development.

If the aim is to discuss the forms present in the Massoretic
text, the first step should be to properly represent that text.

Yitzhak Sapir






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